Blank Space (Johnny's Version)

October 31, 2023 11:06 AM

Blank Space (Johnny's Version) [SLTikTok]
posted by mhum (9 comments total)

I like it, but the backing music is all wrong when just the maudlin violin came in. This is an upbeat number that would have been great for the Tennessee Three. Needs more Luther Perkins!
posted by Superilla at 11:14 AM on October 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

Inferior but appropriate for Halloween: bluegrass Thriller.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 12:08 PM on October 31, 2023

If it takes an AI version of Johnny Cash to turn folks on to Taylor Swift, so be it.
Better that than Ryan Adams [not linking]. Or Justin Bieber. Or Imagine Dragons
posted by chavenet at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I hate AI music but I love this. I think Johnny and June would have loved Taylor.
posted by lunasol at 1:11 PM on October 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

Agreed, this needed early Johnny and his band, not Hurt era Johnny. Still, kinda impressed at the AI rendition.
posted by ApathyGirl at 1:29 PM on October 31, 2023

The phrasing is just slightly off believable but it is otherwise very convincing and actually kinda good.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:14 PM on October 31, 2023

I'm curious what the magic is behind this - how it works. i assume it can't be taking an existing TS track and adjusting it. More like someone doing a Cash impersonation that gets processed?
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:48 PM on November 1, 2023

More like someone doing a Cash impersonation that gets processed?

Yeah, that’s generally how people are getting results like this. A computer model can, in theory, modify anyone’s voice to match the timbre of Johnny’s, but you still hear the actual singer’s stylistic choices.

MetaFilter’s own Andy Baio did a cursed deep dive into the world of voice cloning using Weird Al tracks and a variety of different voice models, which really shows some of the edges and limitations of the current tech.
posted by mbrubeck at 1:02 PM on November 1, 2023

I actually wish I liked this more! I wish for a Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys version.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:20 PM on November 1, 2023